Some well bores, for example some oil and gas wells, are lined with a casing. The cemented casing stabilizes the sides of the well bore, prevents fluids (liquids or gases) in the well bore from entering the surrounding earth formations, and/or prevents fluids from zones other than the producing zones from entering the well bore.
In a typical cementing operation, cement is introduced down the well bore and into an annular space between the casing and the surrounding earth. The cement secures the casing in the well bore, and prevents fluids from flowing vertically in the annulus between the casing and the surrounding earth.
Different cement formulations are designed for a variety of well bore conditions, which may be above or below ambient temperature and/or above ambient pressure. In designing a cement formulation, a number of potential mixtures may be evaluated to determine their mechanical properties under various conditions.